How Karl Stefanovic's wife, kids found out about girlfriend

KARL Stefanovic's estranged wife and kids found out about his new girlfriend when they saw paparazzi pictures of him kissing Jasmine Yarbrough, sources say.

The pictures of Stefanovic and Yarbrough up close and personal on a super yacht on Sydney Harbour celebrating a friends birthday were a shock to the family, Fairfax media reports.

A source told the Sydney Morning Herald "at no point before it was released in the media did Karl tell [his wife] Cassandra or the children he was in a relationship and that he wanted his girlfriend to meet them".

Stefanovic split from Cassandra Thorburn, his wife of 21-years, last August. The pair have three children: Jackson, 17, Ava, 11 and River, 10, together.

Stefanovic had tried to keep his private life under wraps, until shots of him with his new love, snatching quiet time away form birthday revellers lying on the bow of the luxury yacht, were splashed across the front page of The Sunday Telegraph.

"I hope I can try and rebuild whatever has happened in the past and try and make the most of what I can do with them in the future."

It's understood Stefanovic and Yarbrough met on a boat cruise in December, and he spent some of his Today show Christmas break with her in LA, where Yarbrough runs her shoe business.

Stefanovic was on air on Monday after the paparazzi pictures unveiled his new love interest, but was not on the Today show on Tuesday.

Ms Thorburn is said to be "happy herself, but concerned for their children," Fairfax reported.

Meanwhile, Stefanovic's mother Jenny experienced an awkward moment over the weekend, after being papped at a Sydney Woolworths holding the newspaper with pictures of her son and his girlfriend canoodling splashed across the front page.